Beer and wine coming to Hyannis Trader Joe's

By Debi Boucher Stetson dstetson@barnstablepatriot.com

Monday

Apr 11, 2016 at 4:40 PMApr 11, 2016 at 4:40 PM

Applause broke out after the Barnstable Licensing Authority approved a license transfer to the Hyannis location of Trader Joe’s, and if proponents are right the applause will have plenty of echoes among fans of the specialty grocery store.

Applause broke out after the Barnstable Licensing Authority approved a beer and wine license transfer to the Hyannis location of Trader Joe’s, and if proponents are right the applause will have plenty of echoes among fans of the specialty grocery store.

Attorney Andrew Upton came to the April 11 hearing armed with letters of support from customers, several of whom showed up to voice their hopes that the license would be approved.

Marstons Mills resident Mark Hickman said he is a regular customer at Trader Joe’s but also patronizes local package stores. Having gone to Trader Joe’s stores off-Cape that sell beer and wine, he said, “The products they offer are unique,” and can’t be found in other stores.

Trader Joe’s sells “No Bud, Miller or Coors, only specialty beers and wines designed to complement food,” Upton said. “They sell quality, not quantity.” He emphasized the store will only sell beer and wine, not liquor, and will not sell lottery tickets.

The addition of the wine and beer license is part of an expansion. Trader Joe’s, located in the Christmas Tree Promenade plaza on Route 132, is taking over the adjacent space in that had been occupied by the Candy Store. The total area of the expanded store will be 13,272 square feet.

Store manager Brian Fahey said as part of the expansion the store will be reconfigured so the checkout stations “flip to the front of the store.” The wine and beer area will be configured so that customers who don’t want to shop in that area will not have to pass though it.

The license is being transferred from the Food Port International Market on Main Street in Hyannis. Store owner Freddie Chavez said the license is underutilized, and added that he feels good about selling the license to Trader Joe’s. “My wife and I gave it a lot of thought,” he said. “We are customers… It was a company that we believed in.”

Selling the license will help Chavez fund his new venture, the Ocean Street Café and Deli at 10 Ocean Street – a property that is getting a much-needed renovation as part of that project.

Fahey said the addition of a wine and beer license will add 15 year-round employees to a staff that now numbers 50 year-rounders. In addition to increasing jobs, he said, the change will attract more customers. “Our patrons come to Hyannis from across the Cape and beyond,” he said. “We believe we will bring more people to Hyannis.”

Richard Scali, director of Regulatory Services for the town, said that was his only hesitation. “Everybody that goes there knows you can never find a parking space,” he said. “The lot is very, very crowded and that’s my only concern.”

Chris Maguire, regional vice president for Trader Joe’s in New England, said the store already has one staff member working the parking lot and will increase that coverage.

Maguire said he used to manage the Trader Joe’s location in Brookline, and customers there were always asking, “When are you going to get beer and wine on the Cape?” He told board members the store offers a “highly curated selection” of wine and beer, featuring products “that are only available at Trader Joe’s.”

In response to a query about checking IDs to ensure only those 21 and over, as stipulated by law, can purchase wine and beer there, Upton said Trader Joe’s maintains a policy of proofing everyone. In addition, the store has a system built into cash registers that requires birth dates be entered before a sale can be finalized.

Upton and Fahey said all staff members will be certified in TIPS (Training for Intervention Procedures). TIPS in an alcohol training and certification program designed to prevent alcohol abuse, underage drinking and related problems.